Dad Bod Rap Pod

It's a tale of two halves on Dad Bod Rap Pod this week. In the intro segment we take a look back at The Fugees' first album Blunted on Reality, released 30 years ago in the thick of one of hip-hop's best overall years, 1994. For now, let's charitably call it an uneven debut from a group still finding its voice. Please click play on the episode to hear a lot more of our thoughts. This album is full...

You wanna see a dead body? All you need to do is listen to this week's guest, one of hip-hop's most unique MCs, Brotha Lynch Hung. Hailing from the under-discussed rap bastion of Sacramento, California, Lynch is the creator of his own unique brand of horror-centric rap music, which he calls Ripgut. Lynch's music is extremely popular in the Bay Area where we grew up, and while we may not be everyda...

There are few people who have contributed as much to hip-hop culture and received as little recognition as our guest this week, Breakbeat Lou. He was born in the Bronx, steeped in hip-hop culture from the moment it was created, and eventually went on to develop a record series called Octopus Breaks. That series morphed into the mighty Ultimate Breaks & Beats, a hugely formative series for DJs, Pro...

This week we are going to the movies... actually we're discussing rap portrayals in the movies, a somewhat fraught subject. We were inspired to think about rap on the silver screen by our guest, Marv Won. Among other accolades, Marv was famously part of the movie 8 Mile. We enjoyed our conversation with this Detroit battle rap mainstay who recently signed with Mello Music Group and has a new album...

"you can tell that the East Bay was his home."  Spice One doesn't have the wealth and accolades that some of his West Coast contemporaries like E-40, Too Short, and Snoop have, but he has maintained every bit of his respect in the rap game for over 30 years. The Hayward, California rapper came to prominence in the early nineties, pioneering a dark new gangster arch type that is still mimicked toda...

So it's come to this... A Dad Bod Rap Pod mailbag episode. We are celebrating our 300th episode by fielding questions from some people we respect. Show hosts Demone Carter, David Ma and Nate LeBlanc are extremely grateful to have met and interacted with so many talented and cool people over the past few years and we reached out to a few of them to send in some open-ended questions about hip-hop mu...

Chuck Strangers has been making noise from the Pro Era to the current era. Originally known primarily as a producer, Chuck is also nice on the mic and has released several acclaimed solo albums. Today he joins Dad Bod Rap Pod hosts Demone Carter, David Ma, and Nate LeBlanc to discuss his most recent album, A Forsaken Lover's Plea. It's more fun than it sounds. We discuss his Brooklyn rap Mt. Rushm...

Who does't like a good spin-off? Last season we piloted a first of its kind (we think) podcast that deals with the precarious intersection between Rap music and sex/relationships. It's called Talk Like Sex. This week DBRP host DEM ONE and full time producer part time sex therapist Blockhead have a wide ranging conversation about music and the age old question "To Eat Or Not To Eat" They answer que...

This week we are taking our talents into the sporting realm. DBRP hosts Nate LeBlanc, Demone Carter and David Ma are joined for an interesting conversation with DJ D-Sharp, a Bay Area stalwart who has new music out now. However, he also has a "day job" as the in-arena DJ for the Golden State Warriors, the best basketball team in the world. We discuss his history as an in-demand tour DJ for many pr...

Cavalier is a little bit of a mysterious figure in the modern rap ecosystem. He was raised in Brooklyn, now located in New Orleans, with significant time spent in Oakland along the way. He has worked extensively with DBRP fave Quelle Chris, collaborating on 2023's excellent Black Cottonwood album. We have been wanting to speak to Cav since 2018's Private Stock was released, which we consider to be...

Now that we've been around for a number of years, we've had the chance to interact with rappers and producers at various stages of their careers. Sometimes we catch people on the ascent, still forging their legacy, and sometimes we speak to legends whose time influencing the culture is likely behind them. And sometimes, we engage with early-career artists right as they begin to level up and make a...

Dad Bod Rap Pod is experiencing a little bit of redemption this week. A few years ago, right around the time we were starting to interview guests on the show, we had scheduled a chat with a newcomer to the underground rap scene, a cat who rapped equally well in English and Spanish, with an impressive vocabulary and a deft hand with storytelling raps. That dude was Crimeapple, and we were huge fans...

We here at Dad Bod Rap Pod like nothing more than when an established artist takes a big swing, and makes an ambitious record outside of their comfort zone. That is certainly the circumstance that our guests this week find themselves in. For their first collaborative project, entitled Temple Needs Water Village Needs Peace, Memphis rapper Lukah and LA-based producer Real Bad Man have cooked up a c...

This week's Dad Bod Rap Pod episode revolves around the under-discussed golden era rap group X Clan and contains an insightful interview with the group's leader, Brother J. The Grand Verbalizer is a contemporary of groups like The Jungle Brothers but has had a different career path, as he has balanced music-making with deeply involved community work for decades. In the intro segment DBRP hosts Dem...

Many times we have had guests that we consider to be proverbial brothers, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time we have interviewed literal siblings. Of course we're referring to Brooklyn's finest, the production duo of DJ Evil Dee and Mr. Walt, collectively known as Da Beatminerz. This was a great conversation, as the hilarious, gregarious brothers have been involved in so many classic hip-h...

It's quite rare for us to be able to talk to a true pioneer in the rap game, especially one so vital and engaged as the legendary Schoolly D. We were able to get some time with the literal father of gangster rap to talk about his self-drawn album art, his influence on the genre, his work in TV, his diet, and so much more. DBRP hosts David Ma, Nate LeBlanc and Demone Carter have been longtime fans...

Dad Bod Rap Pod is back after our brief winter break. This week we have a great interview with returning guest Bruiser Wolf. Since bursting onto the scene as part of Danny Brown's Bruiser Brigade a few years ago, Wolf has carved out a unique lane for himself with a lilting, melodic flow comprised of off kilter couplets and observational wordplay that can skew either funny, enlightening, or devasta...

It's not the heat its the dust.... This is it y'all. Part 2 of the DBRP 50 year-end extravagangsta. The last episode of 2023! This week the bros dissect the Top 25 songs that make up the whole DBRP vibe. Thanks to all those who rocked with us this year. The three bad brothers you know so well are gonna take a break and return February 2024.Cheers! If you like what you hear please like, rate, revie...

With this being the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and all the bros figured it was time to put together a Top 50 list of some sort. In lieu of talking about the same amazing but over-discussed rap songs/albums they thought it would be cool to list the top 50 songs that make up the DBRP aesthetic. Because 6th years in Dad Bod Rap Pod has become a staple podcast with fans of a certain age and sensibili...

but when it come to nights like this.... To conclude the 93' Retro series the bros talk about arguably the most perfect rap album of all-time A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders. Coming off the commercial and artistic triumph that was Low End Theory many wondered if Tribe could raise the bar yet again. Nate, Dave, and DEM talk about their favorite joints from this nocturnal masterpiece. In a...

This is a dedication to you wack emcees...... Del's second album, No Need For Alarm, was a departure of sorts from his debut LP, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Eschewing the Ice Cube/George Clinton funk aesthetic, Del went deep into his backpack and pulled a record for the ages. The head of the Hiero Voltron launched a full-scale attack on inferior rappers over raw no-nonsense beats. This week...

As you reflect on gratitude, colonialism, and cranberry sauce enjoy this Patreon Freeview of Nate Le Blanc's radio show Fly Sporadic. Our Patreon subscribers know that Nate drops these themed (or non themed) music mixes every so often. Just one the perks of membership when you join the Dad Bod Rap Pod Patreon. You can get Fly Sporadic, Demone's playlist series DEM'S GEM's, special podcast segments...

Outkast is perhaps Hip Hop's closest corollary to the Beatles. Their musical journey, commercial success, and geographic origins (the south got something to say) make them a one-of-one rap group. On this week's episode the bros take a walk down memory lane and dissect Outkast's 25 year old classic album Aquemini. Joining the dad bods on the b side of the episode is Fat Tony who shares how this alb...

It might blow up but it won't go 🎈 For this week's edition of the 1993 Retro Series the bros reflect fondly on De La Soul's 3rd album Buhloone Mindstate. By this point in time De La may have been at the height of their powers. They crafted a masterpiece and reinvented themselves yet again. Nate, Dave, and DEM revel in this classic album and as a special bonus Blockhead hops on to talk about what...

Time to Enter The 7th Chamber: In last weeks episode the four man wrecking crew (Nate, Dave, DEM, and DJ Cutso) talked about when the Tao of the WU first found them and their favorite tracks off of this classic album. This week they delve into the best three song runs from the album and consider this blasphemous question: are their skippable tracks on the album?? Tune in for all the high jinx. If...